There are few men who are as quintessentially American as Sonny Barger. He is patriotic—a veteran who loves his country. He is independent—choosing his own path on his motorcycle, living life on his own terms. He is outspoken—he has boldly criticized injustices in American law and society despite the backlash this has evoked from the establishment. Yet the element that he finds most important, most sacred, most American, is freedom. In Freedom , Sonny articulates many of the principles he employs in his own life. Whether he is regarded as a leader, a rebel, a revolutionary, a criminal, or a soldier, Sonny's outlook has been influenced not just by school but by the military, prison, and his experiences riding with the world's most notorious motorcycle club. It was on these various journeys that he learned the lessons that are most important in his life and the qualities he respects when he sees them in others: Independence Customize Yourself; Originals Don't Come Off an Assembly Line Toughness Temper the Steel to Forge a Strong Blade Fairness Treat Me Good, I'll Treat You Better; Treat Me Bad, I'll Treat You Worse Presented in the form of fifty credos, this book gives Sonny Barger's perspective on how to live a life that embodies the most fundamental of American virtues: freedom. After a couple of memoirs, a novel, and an anecdote collection, Barger presents words to live by, aimed at chopper pilots but actually for everyone. The wisdom arises from Barger's colorful past as a kingpin in the Oakland, California, and national Hell's Angels. Some of it is obvious. "If you're gonna ride, wear leather," for instance, is, as well as damn fine fashion advice, solid counsel for hurling oneself down the highway on a two-wheeled motor vehicle. "Screw fightin' fair" is a little more esoteric, but "Do you fight fair or do you fight to win?" Barger asks before recalling the time when "a group decided to invade our gathering with weapons, clubs, knives, and baseball bats" (this was at a book signing, not a catalogers' meeting about replacing AACR2). As to management theory and practice, "Only one person can ride a motorcycle," Barger intones, which correlates to his bottom line on life: take control of it. And if you're "gonna take a beating[,] . . . fight back." The icon hath spoken. Mike Tribby Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “[A] story so vivid you can practically smell the bike exhaust.” - USA Today There are few men who are as quintessentially American as Sonny Barger. He is patriotic—a veteran who loves his country. He is independent—choosing his own path on his motorcycle, living life on his own terms. He is outspoken—he has boldly criticized injustices in American law and society despite the backlash this has evoked from the establishment. Yet the element that he finds most important, most sacred, most American, is freedom. In Freedom , Sonny articulates many of the principles he employs in his own life. Whether he is regarded as a leader, a rebel, a revolutionary, a criminal, or a soldier, Sonny's outlook has been influenced not just by school but by the military, prison, and his experiences riding with the world's most notorious motorcycle club. It was on these various journeys that he learned the lessons that are most important in his life and the qualities he respects when he sees them in others: Independence Customize Yourself; Originals Don't Come Off an Assembly Line Toughness Temper the Steel to Forge a Strong Blade Fairness Treat Me Good, I'll Treat You Better; Treat Me Bad, I'll Treat You Worse Presented in the form of fifty credos, this book gives Sonny Barger's perspective on how to live a life that embodies the most fundamental of American virtues: freedom. Ralph "Sonny" Barger (1938-2002) was the author of Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club . Freedom Credos from the Road By Sonny Barger HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2005 Sonny Barger All right reserved. ISBN: 0060532564 Chapter One Treat Me Good, I'll Treat You Better. Treat Me Bad, I'll Treat You Worse. Be careful how you treat people. It can come back either to help you or come back and bite you on the ass. Nobody ever confused me with being a priest, a minister, or a holy man. "Treat me good, I'll treat you better; treat me bad I'll treat you worse" is my personal take on "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Except with a modern edge. The phrase is on a plaque and is hung on an honored spot on my wall, whether at my cycle shops, my office, at home, or in the garage. It serves as a warning to whoever reads it. I'm aserious, determined man destined to be treated fairly. I like to take fairness to its logical extreme. When somebody bucks the trend by really going out of his or her way, by going the extra mile and respecting me as opposed to treating me rudely or behaving like an assholeor an idiot, I res